The invention relates to a device for using a broadband network at a customer's premises—referred to hereinafter as Customer Premises Equipment or CPE for short—comprising a physical connector for linking to a broadband network and a distributing structure (Network Termination Unit, NTU) that is connected to said physical connector for distributing broadband elements over one or more service modules (Residential Gateway Units, RGU) for associated customer modules (Customer Equipment, CUE) as recited in the pre-characterizing part of claim 1. The broadband network may be based on a glass fiber or copper technology. Examples of copper technology are ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) through a telephone cable and DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications) through a TV cable. Examples of customer modules are appliances for recording and/or playback of data or audio and/or video information, such as a TV set, a monitor, a PC (personal computer), a telephone set, a webcam, etc. It is noted that customer location equipment is sometimes also denoted customer equipment hereinafter. Customer modules are also sometimes denoted user equipment.
The inventors have found in particular that until now it has often been only a single network manager or service provider that supplies all elements of such a connecting structure. The latter comprises the physical infrastructure, the means for carrying out the active management of the network, and the structures that provide the various services to the end users.
A social trend is observable, however, whereby the right of property of the connecting structure is distributed over a number of operational entities or service providers. Furthermore, there is a technological trend in the sense that the operational lives of the individual components and subsystems are of substantially different lengths, for example ranging from several decades for underground cabling to only a few years for applications. A subsequent replacement of physical subsystems within a larger system is found to be highly laborious. It requires, for example, that a qualified maintenance engineer is sent to the customer for replacing the entire customer equipment. This involves a major expense.